


You're Gonna Love Tomorrow

by MissVioletHunter, TheLadyDisdain



Series: Theology for Beginners [4]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-23 21:53:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13797087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissVioletHunter/pseuds/MissVioletHunter, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLadyDisdain/pseuds/TheLadyDisdain
Summary: Loki and his Midgardian wife Leah are awaiting the day of their baby's birth, but some business with a troll may be giving Loki a bit of trouble on a very delicate moment.Final installment (for now, only for now) of the adventures of Loki and Leah.





	1. In Praise of Women

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: mentions of hunting animals for food.

 

_You're gonna love tomorrow._   
_You're gonna be with me._   
_You're gonna love tomorrow,_   
_I'm giving you my personal guarantee._   
_Say toodle-oo to sorrow,_   
_And fare thee well, ennui._   
_You're gonna love tomorrow_   
_As long as your tomorrow is spent with me._

_— Stephen Sondheim, Follies_

 

“Oh, fuck!”

Up until the moment he’d heard the expletive, Loki had been taking a well-deserved nap. Deserved because he had (in his own opinion) behaved like a saint during the last few weeks. And definitely needed, because Leah had been keeping him awake at night for several nights in a row.

Like all intelligent men, Loki was patient. True, Leah’s pregnancy was a test to his patience some days, but he endured it out of love. Because he loved his wife, more than he had ever thought he could love a mortal woman... or any woman, mortal or not. He wanted her more every day, watching in fascination how her body changed, week after week. The extra weight and roundness of her body made him endlessly curious, without reducing his desire for her.

Sex wasn’t a problem. It had been the exact opposite of a problem since the early days of their relationship, and Leah’s pregnancy had not altered their night activities. The _mechanics_ of sex had gotten difficult in the last month or so, because her increasing size limited the number of positions that were practical for both of them, but Loki always found a way for his wife to be comfortable... usually employing an inordinate amount of pillows. Besides, making love was one of the few things that helped her sleep at night when she was restless and fidgety, and thanks to that their marital life was made in the proverbial heaven.

No, the source of Loki’s lack of sleep was – always according to Leah – Loki’s fault. Or, to be more precise, his biology’s fault. His Frost Giant heritage, the part of himself he had fought so hard to repress for so many years, was making an unexpected return in the shape of the little creature that Leah was carrying inside, the little unnamed baby who was making a mess of their mother’s body temperature. She complained about the cold when the brazier was burning, tossed away all the blankets in the middle of the chilliest nights, started shivering or sweating for no reason... and Loki grew worried and restless day after day, because if Leah wasn’t able to sleep he didn’t allow himself to do it either.

That was why he was trying to take a nap right before noon, and why he jumped off the bed to the sound of a swear word and the smell of smoke across the room.

Still half asleep, he tried to make sense of what he was seeing: his heavily pregnant wife, standing beside the fireplace and patting at the skirt of her gown with a wet cloth, because apparently that’s where the burning smell came from.

Loki leaped from the bed and hurried to her side, trying not to smile.

“Again, my love?”

“Don’t you ‘again’ me, Loki. You know it’s hard for me to control this.”

“I asked Frigga to provide us with a fireplace so you would feel comfortable in this cell, but she won’t be happy if you set yourself on fire with it.”

Leah made a face at her husband and walked to the full-length mirror beside the bed to check the state of her clothes.

“Shit, another ruined dress”, she said, looking at the scorched mark on the black fabric.

Loki hugged her from behind, trying to keep her spirits up.

“You will have to abandon that language when the child arrives, my love. And it’s not your gown I am worried about, but your health. How do you feel?”

“Like an elephant, huge and clumsy. No, forget the elephant; a whale would be more accurate. I’m only twenty-six weeks along! How can I be this big?”

“Adis said your size was normal, and as a midwife she knows a thing or two about expecting women.”

She turned to face him and pouted. “Normal! I can’t sleep at night, I’m constantly craving foods that you don’t have in Asgard, and now my body temperature is all messed up again. Yesterday I burnt my tongue with the tea because I didn’t realize it was scalding, the teacup felt cold in my hand. How is that normal? And I know you’re scared that I will sleepwalk into the fireplace and set fire to myself. I can see it in your eyes.”

“Lovely Leah, you are much too clever for that”, he laughed. “And speaking of your cravings, I already asked my mother to get you some of that black chocolate you asked for.”

“Swiss chocolate? The one with cranberries in it?” she asked, hopeful.

“The same. My mother would do anything to make your life easier until the child is born.”

“And that’s another thing I hate: not knowing when it’s going to happen. If this was a fully human baby I would still have three more months to go, but I don’t think I’ll last that long without going insane!”

“I am sure it will be sooner than that”, Loki said, holding the agitated woman in his arms. He had lowered his voice to a low, soothing tone, and his mouth brushed Leah’s lips. Softly at first, and then in a persistent kiss.

She held on to his shoulders, moaning.

“If you’re trying to make me feel all hot and bothered, congratulations.”

“I always get what I want, woman.” Loki’s lips curled into a playful grin. “And what I want now more than anything is your happiness. And a healthy child.”

“What happened to ruling over Asgard? It’s gone down a few positions on the list, apparently.”

With infinite care, he placed his long hands on Leah’s belly, feeling her baby bump through the layers of clothes.

“Our child can rule over Asgard one day. Or any other realm he chooses, I will secure it for him.”

“Or _her_. Remember, Junior can be a girl. I dreamt it was a girl the other day.”

“Even better. An almighty Queen who will bow to no one.”

Leah laughed, putting her hands over his. “I think the reason the baby won’t come out is because of all those plans you’re making. Meanwhile, I feel like a broken thermostat.”

“If he’s half as stubborn as his mother, I expect no less. And he will be perfectly fine unless you let all those worries make you sick. It is all in your head.”

 “You had zero complaints about my head last night”, she said in a sultry whisper.

“Minx. If we were not expecting company I would tell you exactly what I think of–”

A discreet cough interrupted their conversation. Adis, the Asgardian midwife, had been standing outside the cell’s transparent wall for a while, but she didn’t ask the Einherjar to lower the force field until Loki and Leah had acknowledged her presence.

“Good day to both of you. I came as soon as I got your message, my lady, I am here to check on you and the little one. How are we feeling today?” she asked with her perennial kind voice.

“Tired, worried, hot, cold, overexcited, sleepy and restless. Oh, and I just got too close to the fire again; didn’t you smell smoke? That was my dress, almost catching fire.”

“Everything normal, then. You are almost there, you know. I was not entirely sure of how long the pregnancy would last, but those hot and cold flashes indicate that your baby’s physiology is asserting itself. It will be any day now.”

“Good. It feels like I’ve been pregnant for years, and I’m so big that I’m almost afraid of moving without hitting something.”

Adis’s face went unexpectedly serious.

“That is the other reason why I am here. Queen Frigga has put me in charge of helping you move to Prince Loki’s old rooms, up in the palace, until the child is born. The Allfather thinks it’s not fitting for a lady of the realm to give birth to a future member of the Royal family in a cell. You will be more comfortable there; the queen will be able to visit you every day, and keep you company until–”

“No”, interrupted Leah.

“My lady?”

“I’m not going anywhere without Loki, and I suppose Frigga’s invitation doesn’t include him. I’m staying here, and if Odin wants his grandson to be born under a golden roof, he can free my husband anytime he wants.”

Loki and his former nursemaid looked at each other without saying anything. Leah’s stubborn (almost pigheaded) character and fierce loyalty to her husband was widely known, and that was the answer they both had feared. Loki went to sit beside Leah who, feeling a bit outnumbered, had taken refuge on the bed.

“Leah, it will be for the best if you follow Frigga’s advice.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you. That’s what we agreed on when I came here.”

“And it honors you. However, I am not partial to the idea of having you give birth in this place, away from my mother and from the healers’ rooms. If something went wrong you will need their help.”

Leah’s lip quivered. “But...”

“Remember I have ways of being _there_ without being physically present”, Loki whispered. “I know you hate being told what to do, but this time my opinion stands. You will go with Adis to my old rooms until the child is born.”

Leah closed her eyes and groaned.

“My love, this is not the moment to be dramatic and make a scene. When the child has arrived, you have my permission to scream at me for a full day, if you want.”

“It’s not that”, she said. “It’s... my back, suddenly it hurts like a bitch.”

The midwife hurried to Leah’s side. “Your lower back? A piercing pain?”

“Yes. It’s the second time today... it happened early this morning, and then it went away. That’s why I sent you that message, to make sure everything was alright.”

“More than alright”, said the older woman with a smile. But we need to get moving, my lady. You are having a contraction. It’s started.”

The midwife’s announcement brought a sudden silence to the room.

Leah opened her mouth and closed it again, torn between her reluctance to leave her husband and her common sense, which indicated that she should go and give birth in a more convenient place. Loki was the one who finally spoke:

“Is it really time, Adis? Not too soon?”

“Alas, children are always unpredictable, and a child as... special as yours is not going to adhere to any pregnancy calendar.” She patted Leah’s hand, reassuring her. “But I can still see with my own eyes, and what I see is that you are carrying a big, healthy baby who wants to be born as soon as possible. The rest will sort itself out like it does for every mother. Now, I will help you prepare a basket with your things.”

“There’s an empty one under the bed. I have to get a change of clothes… and the baby’s clothes, and I have a list somewhere of all the things you told me I’ll need. Do we need to go right now?”

“As soon as you are packed”, answered the older woman, grabbing the basket from under the bed and making her way to Leah’s closet, which she opened with little ceremony, picking and discarding clothes from the shelves. “We would be risking a very uncomfortable move if we wait, child. You do not want to cross the palace and climb all those stairs when your contractions are a few minutes apart. There is no time for you to change clothes, this cloak will do. Put it on and–”

Adis raised her head and listened intently. Someone was hurrying down the prison corridor, faster than any underpaid soldier would run; Leah held on to Loki’s hand, worried. The steps got closer and closer to the cell, finally revealing a very agitated (and almost out of breath) Fandral. He exchanged a few brisk words with the sergeant of the Einherjar, showed him a piece of parchment and then turned some sort of lock outside the door.

The force field dropped and stayed off, but nobody on either side moved.

“Fandral. If this is a rescue, I have to say it is both clumsy and very ill-timed”, Loki spat.

The blond warrior laughed. “I’m afraid my errand is of a different nature, my friend. Thor has sent me here to ask for your help, on behalf of your brother, of the Allfather and maybe of the entire realm.”

“Help?” interrupted Leah. “After they locked him here and lost the key? Thor has some fucking nerve asking for help... or maybe not, since he sent _you_ to do his dirty work.”

Fandral smiled at Leah and bowed, ignoring her crass language. “My lady Leah, I volunteered for the errand. If this was about Thor’s personal matters with Loki I would have told him to sort it out himself, but I’m afraid this problem is much more urgent and dangerous than a brother’s quarrel.”

“How dangerous?” asked Loki.

“How many times have you encountered a troll in battle?”

Loki frowned. “Only once. Years ago, when Thor and I went to Nornheim to rescue a group of ambushed soldiers. A tribe of Dark Elves had escaped from their realm had allied themselves with the native trolls; we defeated them at great cost and barely made it back to Asgard alive.”

“Well, someone has seen a very wild and aggressive troll this morning, here in Asgard. It attacked two lumberjacks who were working in the Myrkviðr forest, near the western farms. Fortunately the men are more frightened than hurt, but the next time we may not be that lucky.”

“That forest is only three miles away from here.”

“And now you know why we need your help, and quick.”

Loki sighed and turned to speak to Leah, who had listened to Fandral’s story with an incredulous expression, as if the man had been speaking Chinese.

“Now it has become absolutely necessary that you go with Adis at once, my love. This is important, and I will not leave you here alone.”

“But Loki, what’s all that talk about... trolls? I thought they didn’t exist! At least on Earth, they exist only in fairy tales.”

“All tales have a smidge of truth in them. Yes, they exist, and they’re some of the most dangerous creatures I’ve ever encountered. But don’t worry, if there’s only one of them we will defeat it.” He stepped close to the cell’s entrance, just in front of Fandral. “I will need my armor.”

“Done.”

“And my knives.”

The blond man raised an eyebrow, dubious. “Thor will never allow it.”

“Trolls are impervious to magic. My knives or nothing.”

“Fine, I will smuggle a few of them out of the armory for you. But we need to leave at once, Loki. If the night falls and there’s a troll on the loose near those farms...”

Loki raised a hand, bidding the other man silence, and returned beside Leah for a moment. He put a hand on her cheek, as delicately as he could.

“I will be back in a few hours, my love”, he whispered. “Adis and my mother will take care of you. Be brave.”

“I thought when the baby came you would be by my side, not away fighting some... mythological monster. Loki, I’m really scared”, she said, failing to keep the panic out of her voice. “Don’t you dare getting killed and not coming back, do you hear me?”

“Duly noted”, he said, lowering his voice to a whisper. “And now, won’t you send a warrior to battle with a kiss, woman?”

Leah looked around her to check that Adis and Fandral were not peeking, and then threw her arms around Loki’s neck.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

* * *

The Myrkviðr forest was a vast extension of trees not far from the city. A quite convenient place for the Asgardians to get their firewood, and also the home of a large population of wolves, deer, foxes, birds... the usual fauna in any forest across the Nine Realms.

There were no animals in sight that day, though. As the three men crossed the stone bridge that separated the forest from the farmlands, all they could hear around them was a deadly silence. No birds chirping, no rabbits running, not even the buzzing of a bee. It was as if the entire forest had gone into hiding in fear of the trollish creature.

“This will be easy”, affirmed Thor, with Mjolnir in one hand and a heavy sword in the other. “We go in, you two attract the monster towards us, I slay it, and we’ll all be back home by dusk so Loki can be present when my nephew arrives.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “If it’s so simple, why are you keeping me away from my wife, precisely today?”

“I need your illusions to distract the monster, brother. You will have no trouble; they say trolls are tremendously stupid.”

“Many people of my acquaintance are tremendously stupid, present company included. That doesn’t mean I run around wasting my magic on them.”

Fandral interrupted him with an exaggerated (and fake) cough.

“As self-proclaimed keeper of the peace between you two, I must ask you to stop before you start fighting each other like always. Now, that place over there must be the clearing where the woodsmen were surprised by the beast, so if we cross that brook we will be right in its territory. Let’s try not to make any noise.”

The brothers nodded. Loki kneeled beside the little river, examining the mud for footprints; he found none, and they all waded the shallow water. Just as they reached the other side, Loki stopped in his tracks.

“What’s wrong? Did you see it?”

“Shhh. No, but someone – someone wearing boots – has trampled all over those bushes. Let me see.”

He surveyed the ground and the surrounding plants. It was already the middle of the afternoon, and the light was dwindling. After a moment, he emerged from the bushes, holding a wooden object in his hand.

“I have been away from Asgard for quite a while, but all my life I remember lumberjacks carrying axes to work, not crossbows.”

And a crossbow it was, an expensive one made of fine olive wood with silver and mother-of-pearl engravings. Loki examined it carefully and went back to the place where he had found it; a further search revealed a brown leather bag, full of bolts.

“That is not a peasant’s weapon”, observed Thor.

“Someone must have wanted a troll’s head in their trophy wall, and they ran into more trouble than they expected”, said Loki in a pointed tone. “When we get back, maybe you should exchange a word or two with those ‘woodsmen’... for all we know, the troll could have been pacific, and they were the ones harassing it.”

“A pacific troll”, laughed Thor. “And then what, carnivorous sheep? Brother, I fear your time in captivity has done things to your mind.”

“And I fear your lack of imagination has made you even duller than you already were. Didn’t your Midgardian wench teach you anything about keeping an open mind?”

“Peace, again, or I’ll bang both your heads against a tree!” interrupted Fandral, stepping in the middle of the Odinson brothers. “I can’t believe I’m saying this to two adult men, but... do not make me tell Queen Frigga.”

That put a temporary end to the hostilities, and the three men kept advancing thorough the forest. A bit further away they got to the foot of a grassy hill, where a group of big rocks on one side encased what looked like the entrance of a cave.

Nobody spoke, but Fandral drew his sword, and Thor made sure Mjolnir was still attached to his belt (it always was, but he had picked up that nervous habit during the time he’d been exiled on Midgard). Loki, who had no intention of letting go of his newly acquired crossbow, ran his fingers over the engravings on the weapon. Just as they were going to approach the entrance of the cave, they heard a noise... right behind them.

It was a troll, all right. A giant one, if Loki remembered correctly his visit to Nornheim many years before. At least eight foot tall, its grayish body covered in what seemed the furs of some animal, and adorned with a necklace made of bones and seashells. That little concession to civilization didn’t make it seem any less scary, especially when it let out a growl that would have chilled the blood of the most battle-scarred Asgardian warriors.

Thor grabbed Mjolnir and took a step towards the roaring creature, but Loki stopped him with a hand to his chest.

“Brother, let me through or I will step over you.”

“Don’t move, you idiot!” said Loki in a shouting whisper. “The troll is looking at the cave, not at us. We are in its way, but I’m not sure it wants to hurt us.”

“Do you speak troll now? Maybe you can ask it if it’s enjoying its holidays in our beautiful realm!”

Loki rolled his eyes. “Fine, allow me to try one thing. If it doesn’t work, you can go ahead and charge like a brute, like you always do.”

Thor nodded and made a sign to Fandral, who was in the rearguard covering their backs. They both stepped aside, slowly retreating behind a group of trees.

Loki left the crossbow on the ground and raised his hands slowly, letting the creature see that he was unarmed. (He wasn’t. Apart from the two knives Fandral had stolen from the armory for him, he had three others hidden in his clothes. A routine safety measure, so to speak.).

“What is it you want in that cave? You are a forest troll, your kind does not like caves. Why is it so important for you to get in there?”

The troll grunted. It was looking at Loki intently, as if it understood what he was saying.

Step by step, Loki walked out of the creature’s way, not getting his eyes off it. There was a tense moment when Loki and the beast were less than two yards away, and he couldn’t help reaching inside his armor and grabbing the handle of a knife... just to be safe. However, the troll wasn’t paying any attention to him. It stopped at the entrance of the cave and let out a long wail, like a call. Then it disappeared into the dark.

“Well, that’s something one does not see every day”, said Fandral, relieved. “Did we manage to trap it inside the cave... or are we the ones trapped outside?

Loki looked pensive for a moment. “I think I am starting to realize what happened. That cave must be connected to the larger ones on the other side of the hill. There are passages between the realms there, but the terrain is unstable and dangerous. I tried to explore them once when I was a kid, and I almost fell down a gorge.”

“And that’s how it arrived?” asked Thor. “Then why didn’t it leave again, through the same passage?”

“The way may be blocked. Or maybe the troll is injured, there was blood on one of its legs”, observed Fandral. “Dried blood, so it has been here at least for a day.”

Thor turned towards Loki, who had recovered the crossbow and was attaching it to his back.

“You are very quiet all of a sudden, Loki. What’s on your mind?”

“I think there’s something in that cave that the troll didn’t want us to see, that’s why it was so agitated.”

“Something more important than the creature’s instinct to fight us?” asked Thor.

“This creature’s instincts may be different from the trolls we’ve fought in the past, brother.”

“I didn’t see any difference, except that this one is bigger than any other I’ve seen.”

“Exactly. Because our troll is a female.”

Thor made a face. “There are female trolls? And they are bigger than the males? I thought...”

“Did you really believe they’re born out of rocks? Even you are too clever to pay heed to those old wives’ tales, Thor.”

The blond Asgardian pictured the troll in his mind... and, now that Loki had mentioned, there had been a hint of feminine shape behind the furs, the matted hair and the nasty smell.

“So, what do we do now?” asked Fandral. “My usual way of dealing with ladies is to seduce them, but I’m not volunteering to do that with this one, lovely as she may be in troll standards.”

“I have an idea”, said Loki. “One that fortunately doesn’t involve me having to witness your deplorable flirting skills. Thor, have we brought any food?”

“I did not think we would stop for a picnic.”

“Very funny. In that case, I need you to go and hunt a rabbit.”

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the palace, Leah was busy regaining her breath.

“I think... oh, God... I think that’s it. Can I sit down now?” she asked Frigga, who was walking beside her up and down the vast bedroom.

The queen exchanged a glance with Adis, who was busy making tea on an kettle over the fire.

“Good job, child”, answered the midwife. “Your contractions are still widely spaced, you have plenty of time to rest before the next one. Come sit and have some of this tea, it will help with the pain.”

Almost out of breath, Leah let herself fall on a rocking chair. Frigga sat on a low bench, always by her side like she had been for the past couple of hours.

Leah sipped a bit of the herbal drink. It tasted like bay leaves and bitter aniseed, and she scrunched her nose before swallowing it.

“In all the classic movies I’ve seen, women give birth in bed”, she complained to Frigga. “Why do I have to walk and move so much?”

The queen smiled.

“Those ‘movies’ you mention were probably made by men, my dear. Walking during the contractions will help with the progression of the birth, and it will keep your mind away from the pain. Now relax and let your body prepare for the next time; it will be easier if you do not fight the process.”

Leah let out a loud sigh and looked around her. They had installed her in Loki’s former lodgings, which had turned out to be quite more than a simple room. In fact, it was a full apartment, complete with two bedrooms, a study, a giant bathroom and a huge living room, all of them decorated in green and gold. There was even a small kitchenette, tucked away behind a cleverly hidden panel. Both the main bedroom and the living room had French doors that led to a balcony; Leah had peeked outside during one of her strolls around the place, and she had seen a number of people congregated outside. They clapped and cheered when she approached the edge.

Private matters weren’t that private in Asgard, not when they concerned Odin’s family.

She had avoided the balcony since then; it was starting to get dark, and Adis had closed the curtains so she wouldn’t worry about the small crowd who was anxious to meet their new prince or princess.

“What time is it?” she asked, wondering what Loki would be up to, and how long it would take him to come back.

“No looking at the clock, dear”, answered Frigga. “It will not hurry things up and all it will do is make you nervous.”

“I’m already nervous. I feel like I’ve been in labor for ages!”

The queen walked to the fireplace and fanned the flames. Between her duties and Leah’s confinement, she hadn’t had many long conversations with her daughter-in-law since the day of her arrival, and now she was anxious to find a topic that would make the girl forget that her husband was away, battling a troll, perhaps in mortal danger.

“Why don’t you tell me what you were like as a child?” she finally asked. “Loki was so quiet and well-behaved that sometimes I could not believe my own luck. If he had been like Thor I would have gone mad before the first year.”

Thankful for the change of subject, Leah smiled.

“I was... I guess well-behaved would be a way of describing me, yes. My Nonna… my grandmother said I talked non-stop, and I remember a game I played all the time with my dolls... I was the host of a television show, and they were my guests. Of course I did all the talking, of course.”

“Sounds like you were a happy child.”

“Yes, at first I was. At least until my mother got sick”, Leah said, frowning.

Frigga raised an eyebrow in silence, and Adis left whatever she was doing with her herbs and came near the fire, listening intently.

Leah downed the rest of her tea, and spoke again.

“Shortly after I was born, my mother married a man called John Channing. He wasn’t my father, but I didn’t know it then... he adopted me, gave me his name, and he was the most wonderful dad any kid could dream. He drove a huge truck, and I loved it when he took me for a drive with him... One day when I was five, I told him I wanted to be a lady truck driver when I grew up. He laughed, but he got me a toy truck for my next birthday anyway. “

She stopped to catch her breath and went on.

“I had no idea, but my mother had started drinking when I was a baby. Dad... John was away a lot, because of his work, and I guess my mother felt lonely. Then she began drinking even when he was at home, and they fought more and more every day... until one day he left and didn’t come back.”

Frigga put a hand on Leah’s shoulder. “I did not mean for this to be painful for you, dear. If it is too much, let us talk about something else.”

“No, I have to tell this to someone or I will burst. Let me finish.” She ran her hands through her hair, loose now that her carefully braided bun had become undone with all the moving and walking around. “I was seven years old when my parents divorced, and from then on my mother’s drinking only got worse. My grandmother moved in with us for a few months, but it was one fight after another again, because my mother refused to get help. Any kind of help. One day they had a huge row, and my mother… she insulted Nonna so badly, and then she threw her out. My grandmother was a proud woman, and that was the last time she set foot in our house. I visited her almost every day, but she didn’t see her daughter again for several years.”

By then Frigga was cursing the moment she had started asking inconvenient questions. She looked at Adis, whose kind brown face was now serious and worried, and then at her daughter-in-law.

“How did you manage after that?” she asked in a soft voice.

“I had to take care of things”, she answered, fixing her steely gaze on the two women beside her. “I did the chores after school when my mother was too sick to get up. I got a cookbook from the school’s library and spent hours reading it... and then the following day I made mac and cheese. I remember my mother liked it... she even got out of bed to eat that day, and told me it was delicious. I guess that’s one of the reasons I like cooking.”

She reclined her head back, as if the long speech had exhausted her, and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she squeezed Frigga’s hand and blinked to hold back a tear.

“And now you know why I’m so scared to have this kid. How am I going to raise a child... when it’s been so long since I knew how it feels to be one?”

Frigga smiled at her, making tiny wrinkles appear around her kind blue eyes.

“You have a new family now. A husband who loves you, a new brother… even a new father.”

“Odin doesn’t like me.”

“He does not know what to do with you... or with Loki, but that is a different problem, and we will address it at a different time. Moreover, you have me. I know I cannot replace your real mother and grandmother, but I will help you in any way I can.” She smiled at herself, like enjoying the visit of an old memory. “If I could handle raising a baby who turned blue every time he cried, I am sure helping you with my grandchild will be... how do they say it in Midgard? A piece of cake.”

The idiom seemed so out of place in Frigga’s voice that Leah had to laugh.

“I’m still hoping this one doesn’t give me frostbite when I hold him... oof!” She put her hands over her belly, feeling the familiar pain start again.

Adis put an arm behind Leah’s shoulder, supporting her back while she stood up.

“This one has arrived sooner than I expected. I will put the water to boil and get the bed ready.”

“You mean you’ll actually let me get on the bed now?” Leah asked, hopeful.

“Maybe for a while, when this contraction is over. Now, hold my arm and start walking, child.”

Leah did what she was told to, groaning.

“Oh, why did I let Loki do this to me? I swear, if he survives the troll I’m the one who’s going to kill him.”

The two women beside her laughed heartily, and Leah did all she could not to look offended.

“ _Now_ you are talking like a woman in labor”, Frigga said. “Come on, keep walking slowly and do not hold your breath.”


	2. Our Little World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, and welcome to our grand finale! Well, maybe not too grand, but I’m quite happy with the result. A million thanks to my great friend and beta reader theothercourse (also an author here, look for her Tom Hiddleston stories if you want to read something good). Her encouragement and writing advice have been super helpful for the last few years.
> 
> Thank you all for the likes, comments and reblogs. You’re a bunch of fantastic readers, and my inbox is always open to your comments, questions and even incoherent keyboard smashes (I love those).

“Hold your breath, my friend”, whispered Loki. “Don’t say a word. And, for the sake of everything you hold sacred, don’t step on any branches. Now that she is back inside the cave, the last thing I want is to startle her.”

It was definitely getting dark in the forest. Fandral nodded, still trying to wrap his head around the idea of the word _her_ applied to the biggest (and hairiest) of all the trolls he had ever seen.

After a few more moments of expecting vigilance, they heard Thor’s footsteps behind.

“You asked me to bring only one”, he said, pointing to a bundle of grey fur hanging from his belt, the result of the hunt. “But it’s barely enough for the three of us. Have you lit the fire?”

“What fire?”

“To roast the rabbit.”

For the fifth time that day, Loki’s right eyebrow rose in a sarcastic arch.

“If your intelligence was in par with your hunting skills, _brother_ , you would be the most dangerous man in all the Nine Realms. Give me that, I’m going inside.”

“We will go together”, Thor insisted, once more feeling the handle of Mjolnir and wondering how well it would work in a confined space. “I will not have you mauled to death by a troll on the day your child is being born.”

“Why exactly do you care so much about my wellbeing all of a sudden?”

“Because if I go back without you Leah will kill me. And then our mother would use her magic to bring me back from the dead and kill me again.”

“There you have a man with his priorities well sorted out”, laughed Fandral.

Loki stood face to face with his brother, and _he_ wasn’t laughing.

“Yes, the ladies in our family have a dangerous side. And I believe the lady inside that cave, much like the ones waiting for us at the palace, will respond better to flattery and gifts than to violence. I hope she likes rabbit, I would hate for the little beast to have died in vain.”

“Take this too”, said Thor, handing Loki his hunting knife. “I cannot let you go in there unarmed.”

Loki examined the knife carefully. It was bigger and heavier than his usual daggers, but still very sharp.

“It is a tribute to your trust in me that you think I’m unarmed”, he said, returning the weapon to his brother. “And I fear you’re going to be disappointed in me one more time.”

There was a flash of blue steel in the setting sun as Loki drew his own knife for a moment, before returning it to a sheath cleverly hidden in his doublet.

Thor smiled, against his will, and waved his brother away. The two Asgardians stood together, watching Loki disappear into the darkness of the cave, until Fandral nudged his friend.

“Now what do we do? Just sit and wait?”

“We do exactly what my brother asked, my friend. Sit and wait… until we go inside.”

“What?”

“One minute and then we follow him.”

“I thought you trusted Loki now.”

“Only as far as I can throw him, and that’s about a few yards deep into that cave.”

* * *

 

Trust. That was the word the Queen had used.

Hertha was still the youngest of Queen Frigga’s ladies-in-waiting; so young (in Asgardian terms) that practically everybody had seniority over her, which usually meant that she had to follow the orders of a battalion of mean old ladies. However, for some reason, the queen was fond of her, and every now and then she liked to give Hertha some special tasks to make her feel validated.

Today’s assignment was not exactly little. Or ordinary. She was sitting in the antechamber to Loki’s rooms, guarding the door, with precise instructions of not letting anyone in except if the queen or Adis called for them.

Not even Thor. Or the Allfather.

It had been exciting at first, to imagine herself in a situation where she had to defend the gilded doors against an imaginary invader. She even had hidden a sword under her cloak, although her training as a shieldmaiden, purely ceremonial, left a bit to be desired. But of course, the only people interested in getting in a room where a woman was giving birth were a couple of maids who brought clean linens and refreshments for the three ladies. Prince Thor was still out in the woods, hunting the troll. And the Allfather knew his wife too well to know what would happen to him if he dared to disturb the delicate operation inside.

As a result, Hertha was terribly, horribly bored. She was also a little frightened, because like most respectable Asgardian maidens she knew next to nothing about giving birth. She probably wouldn’t be taught about it until the day before her wedding, when she and her mother would have ‘the talk’… and she wasn’t looking forward to it. All she knew was that it took some really long hours, and that it involved tears. And screams. And a lot of blood.

The young woman looked left and right to make sure there was no one in sight, and then pressed her ear to the door, hoping (and fearing) that the noise inside would give her some information about what was happening.

But there were no screams, nor any gory sounds of blood splashing, nor any of the other signs of the apocalypse that some of her friends swore happened during childbirth. No, the only sounds that came through the door were a series of low, pained groans.

Inside, the source of the groaning stood hunched over one of the golden columns of the bed-head, with Frigga to one side and Adis to the other. She had been pushing for what seemed like an eternity, and her stubborn baby was not cooperating.

“I can’t do this!”

“Every woman says that, dear. And in the end every woman can. You have to keep pushing.”

The moaning continued, with the two older ladies doing everything they could to comfort her… until the contraction ended with no baby in sight.

The midwife helped Leah lay down on the bed and wiped her forehead. Then she noticed that the mother-to-be had gripped the bed column so hard that the gold paint had several nail-shaped marks on it.

“Frigga…” called the unusually weak voice of the mortal woman on the bed.

“I am here, dear. The next contraction will be the last. Only a few more minutes.”

“Can’t you… do some magic and teleport the baby out of me? Or something? I’m so tired…”

“That is a really clever idea”, answered the queen with a smile. “But I can do that only as a last resource, only if your life or the baby’s life are in danger. There are many risks to magic, and I would rather not expose an unborn baby to it. Now, regain your breath, you will need it soon.”

Meanwhile, Adis had examined Leah, and she discreetly called the queen apart.

“She is almost there. The baby is in good position and descending. My only worry is that she may exhaust herself and faint before it comes out.”

“We will not let her faint”, answered the queen. “Give her a sip of that tonic you prepared before.”

“That may be enough to keep her awake, but I am not sure she will be able to stand up.”

“Then you and I will hold her up. I may not have much experience in midwifery, but I know the Lady Leah is not the kind of woman who surrenders easily.”

The midwife’s dark face lightened up. “Then she is lucky to have you as a mother-in-law. And as a midwife. If you ever decide that you want to give up being Queen, then I would be honored to take you as my apprentice.”

“One birth at a time, Adis. Let us finish with this one first before I make a career out of it.”

She approached the huge bed, where Leah was already feeling the start of another bout of pains, and helped the young woman to a sitting position, holding her in place with a surprisingly strong arm. Then she offered her a drink from a silver cup.

“This will give you some extra strength. Just one sip, there you go.”

“Is it magic?”

Frigga smiled. “To the untrained eye it could seem like magic, but it is really just a mix of herbs and juice. And now, are we ready for the final push?”

“No”, pouted Leah. “Where is Loki? Why isn’t he back?”

“Even if he was back, he would not be allowed here”, was the firm answer. “Men don’t have the ability to understand this, they never go through it. But I believe you can do it, child. Will you do it?”

“Yes. Oh, God… yes, I’ll do it. Help me get this baby out, please!”

“That is the attitude. Now, breathe deep and push!”

* * *

The cave was less dark and more humid than Loki had anticipated. The first thing was the result of some very convenient fungus that grew on the stone walls, and that had a faint luminescence to it. The second was caused by a subterranean stream that emerged in the middle of the ground and ran through the depths of the narrow tunnel.

It didn’t take him long to find what he was looking for. The smell of a troll is quite distinctive, and quite easy to endure once the initial dizziness disappears. The subject of his trouble was right at the bottom of the cave, sitting on a rock. And on her knee, making tiny gurgling noises that could have passed for laughter in troll language, was the ugliest baby he had seen in all his life.

Determined to make her presence known without startling the mother, he took a couple of silent steps towards her, stopping at a safe distance.

“Hello”, he whispered, as softly as he could.

The wail that came from the troll’s mouth was not soft, but she didn’t attack him. She merely stood up, towering over him, while the little troll in her arms extended his little hairy arms towards the intruder.

Loki raised his hands in the air in what he hoped was a universal sign of peace. Then he crouched on the floor, left the rabbit there and took a couple of steps back.

“I have no idea if you can understand me”, he said slowly, “but I’ve brought you food. I’m sure every creature can understand food.”

Still suspicious, the troll left the baby in what looked like a makeshift bed made of moss and leaves. The little creature, clearly untroubled by the situation, sat there blowing bubbles and making baby noises. The mother approached Loki with caution; even in the dim light he could see that there was a deep gash on her leg, but it looked like a clean wound and it wasn’t bleeding. He kept talking to the troll, more to calm himself than to appease her.

“Your child looks old enough to crawl, so he was not born here”, he mused. “Maybe he crawled through one of the secret passages and you followed, looking for him? Or perhaps both of you got lost and then you got hurt by the hunters. In any case, I am going to find that passage and send you back, understood?”

The troll made a noncommittal noise. She grabbed Loki’s offering with a swift movement, and retreated towards the back of the cavern.

While his new friend would be busy eating (or feeding her child… what did baby trolls eat, anyway?), Loki made his way past her towards the other end of the cave, where the corridor opened into a sort of clearing. There, in the dim light, he found what he was looking for: a fallen rock, too big to be moved by an Aesir, a troll or any other creature he knew. And, behind that rock, the visible thread of golden light that marked the secret ways between the realms.

For a second, he thought of turning back to the lady troll and explaining what he was about to do; then he laughed quietly to himself and shook his head.

The troll was very hungry indeed, because her injury had left her unable to hunt for food, and in any case she would never have left her little one alone. Suffice to say that the poor rabbit did not die in vain at all, and that after a few moments there was nothing left of it. By the time she was finished eating, the little man that had brought her food was doing something very strange: he raised his hands, and from them came a pulse of green light, way brighter than the natural glow of the cave walls. She observed him with curiosity, not fear, because it’s true that trolls are not affected by magic. To them it’s merely a pretty display of multicolor light.

The light became brighter, with golden lines twisting and spiraling around the green, and then the man raised his arms towards the big rock, the one that was too heavy for her to move. The rock shivered and started to melt.

Beside her, that baby troll was having the time of his short life, watching how the flashing energy that burst from Loki’s hands molded and dissolved the rock, generating thousands of green and gold sparkles that shone in the dark.

The sparkles finally died down, and Loki found himself exhausted. Sustaining a magical field with enough intensity to melt a rock wall was something he had never tried before; a short and powerful burst would have been quicker and taken less of his energy, but he didn’t want to risk a collapse. When he turned around, the troll was right in front of him, with her overjoyed baby balanced on her hip. Loki stood aside, showing her the way back to her own realm, but she didn’t move.

“And now, why won’t you leave?” he asked, once more talking half to her and half to himself.

The troll extended a hand; in her palm glistened a small object, white and polished. Moving as slowly as he could, Loki reached for it and held it up to the light that came from the tunnel.

“A bear’s canine.” He looked at the troll again, waiting for an explanation, and she pointed a hairy finger towards her baby.

There was a leather cord loosely tied around the little one’s neck, like a rustic necklace, and from it hanged another bear’s tooth, identical to the one she had just given to Loki.

“I see. Thank you”, he added, waving one more time to the makeshift gate between Asgard and (hopefully) Nornheim.

This time the lady troll made her way through the passage, with a low grunt that Loki chose to interpret as a friendly farewell. Her steps faded down the stone corridor, and the last Loki saw of her was the grey-skinned baby, gurgling happily and waving his hands towards the eerie luminescence that shone on the walls.

Loki let out a loud sigh.

“So, what do you think of my diplomatic skills, brother?”

“How did you know we were here?” asked Thor, stepping out of the shadows with an astonished Fandral beside him.

“Please don’t insult my intelligence. I could hear you following me from a mile away.”

Thor smiled and landed a half-assed punch on his brother’s arm. “You did it! And you were right about the troll being a… a lady.”

“I did not anticipate the child, though. Luckily for us, I think it liked me.”

“Nobody could have anticipated that child”, interrupted Fandral. “By the Norns, that was a wondrously ugly little creature.”

“I am sure his mother thought he was the most beautiful baby in all the Realms”, answered Loki. “Who knows, maybe she is a beauty by troll standards, and you missed out on a conquest, Fandral.”

The blond warrior shuddered. “Now that you mention it, she reminds me of a girl who fancied me, many years ago. Her name was Agnetha, she was taller than me, and she could wrestle a bull to the ground with one arm.”

“Charming.” Loki stared fixedly at the passageway to Nornheim for a moment, and then his hands started glowing again. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have to seal this corridor so our lovely lady friend won’t visit us again anytime soon. And then we must hurry back, I have to meet my own child.”

“How do you know it’s been born already, brother?”

“Call it a hunch.”

* * *

Back in the city, it was already dark, but the palace was full of the usual rumors and confusion that tend to surround the arrival of a new royal baby. Some people said Leah was on the verge of death; others, that she’d had twins and they were premature and weak; the most pessimistic insinuated that an army of healers were trying to save the life of both the mother and the baby… And then there were some wise women, old enough to remember Loki’s infancy, who reckoned that mother and baby were probably fine, and that the royal family had always been prone to keeping their babies away from the public eye. At least for the first few weeks after the birth.

Only Hertha, Frigga’s lady in waiting, knew exactly what had happened. She had delivered an urgent note to the Allfather, who read it in silence without looking neither pleased nor displeased. Then she went back to her post, guarding the entrance to Prince Loki’s rooms with so much diligence that a captain of the Einherjar joked about hiring her to be his new lieutenant.

Outside, on the palace grounds, a small crowd had congregated to greet the three heroes that had (allegedly) slain a very large and very dangerous troll. The heroes in question finally appeared, but since they were in quite a hurry, and none of them seemed to have any injuries worthy of mention, the citizens of Asgard returned to the comfort of their homes, happy but a tad disappointed with the lack of gruesome wounds and heroic tales.

Loki climbed the front stairs of the palace, two at a time, with Thor and Fandral behind him. They were having a hard time keeping up with his speed, especially Thor who, quite foolishly, had equipped himself with his heaviest armor to go troll hunting.

Just before reaching the gates, Loki turned to his brother.

“Can’t you move faster? I won’t be allowed inside unless you two are with me, and I would really like to meet my son or daughter before they’re old enough to run.”

The two Aesir looked at each other and stepped up the pace, until they all reached the golden gates at the same time. The guards didn’t even have time to decide if Loki was allowed inside; a stern look from Thor was enough.

The long series of stairs, halls and corridors along their way passed by them in a blur. They finally reached the wing of the palace where the family lived, and where a last obstacle was waiting for them. An obstacle in the shape of a willowy girl with silvery blond hair and the eyes of a timid gazelle.

“Hertha!” Thor’s smile widened when he saw her. “It has been years, you have grown so much! We are going to see my new nephew.”

“My Lord Prince Thor, Prince Loki, Lord Fandral…” she paused, the gazelle gathering her strength to roar like a lioness. The top of her blond head barely reached Thor’s shoulder, but she jutted her chin up anyway. “My Lords, only the father is to be allowed inside. The rest of you will have to wait.”

Thor’s mouth gaped in disbelief. “But…”

“Her Majesty’s orders”, she stated, crossing her arms in a forbidding gesture. Since Thor was too surprised to move or speak, Loki simply pushed past him, smiled at Hertha and opened the door without a noise.

Adis was in the sitting room, tidying up her bags of medicinal herbs. She welcomed Loki with a wide smile.

“Congratulations”, she said calmly. “It has been difficult for your wife, but she turned out to be stronger than I thought. They are in your room.”

Loki held the old woman’s tawny hands and planted a kiss on them.

“Thank you.”

When he opened the door, the first thing he saw was Leah, reclining on the freshly made bed, with Frigga sitting beside her. And a tiny white bundle between them, a bundle so carefully wrapped that from where he was he could only see a tuft of soft black hair.

“There are my two favorite women in the world.”

Leah raised her eyes to him with a weak smile. “Your _three_ favorites.”

“We have a girl?” He asked, practically running towards the bed.

Frigga stood up in silence, making room for Loki, and turned towards the door. She didn’t make it far before Loki stalled her exit.

“Mother.”

For the first time in almost two years, the Queen of Asgard hugged her younger son. She held him close to her heart, but only for a moment. If anyone had the right to hog Loki’s attention on such a day it was his wife and child, so Frigga smiled brightly and blinked away a traitorous tear.

Even after the hug had ended, Loki found it difficult to let go of his mother’s hands.

“I am flesh and blood, my son. There is no need to squeeze so hard, my hands are as solid as the rest of me.”

“I know. I just want one more moment before the guards take me back to prison. I don’t know what is holding them back, but I suppose it is your doing.”

A twinkle appeared in Frigga’s eyes. “Actually, I have some good news for you. The Council has decided that, as a reward for vanquishing the troll, you will be confined to your quarters for the foreseeable future, instead of going back to the cell. I predict we will be able to see each other every day from now on.”

“And what about Odin’s prohibition?”

“Well, naturally I intend to spend a lot of time with my granddaughter and my daughter-in-law. If you happen to be here when I visit them, there is nothing I can do.”

She was halfway to the door when a light went off in Loki’s head.

“When exactly did the Council find time to make that decision? We returned to the palace a moment ago, and anyway at this hour those old men must be all in bed.”

“Oh, did I say that? How silly of me… what I meant was they _will decide_ to pardon you. First thing tomorrow.”

“And people wonder where my scheming side comes from.”

“You learned it from me, never forget that”, she added with a wink. “Now, go to your wife and baby. They need you more than me. And make sure Leah does not get too fatigued. She will have to be in bed for a couple of weeks, and not overexert herself for at least a month after that. Midwife’s orders.”

She closed the door without noise and joined Adis in the living room, where she sank into the most comfortable chair she could find.

“Adis, you never told me how exhausting is to bring children to the world, even when you’re not the mother.”

The older woman let out an impish laugh. “Welcome to my world, my lady Queen.”

Back inside his old bedroom, Loki approached the bed with caution. He brushed his lips on Leah’s pale cheek before doing the same with the sleeping baby.

“How are you feeling, my love?”

She closed her eyes, sighed deeply and offered him a weary smile. “My brain only understands two words right now: _tired_ and _happy_. But mostly happy.”

“She is so beautiful”, he whispered, holding one of the tiny baby hands in his.

“She’s a miracle. Wait until she wakes up, she has the biggest eyes in the world. I think her eyes are going to be pea green… they’re grey for now, but I already see some flecks of color.”

“Excellent.” Loki stood up slowly. “Before I forget, I have some gifts for both of you.”

“Did you go gift shopping with Thor and Fandral before or after the troll hunt?”

“During.” He picked up a small sack from the floor, and from it grabbed an object and showed it to Leah. She made a heroic effort not to burst into laugh, holding her belly with her free hand.

“You evil man! Don’t make me laugh, I’m aching all over… But really, just what every baby girl needs. A crossbow that’s bigger than her.”

“The crossbow is for you, Leah. I will teach you how to wield it when you’re recovered.”

“My life’s dream, learning how to use a deadly weapon. So romantic.” She admired the engravings on the tiller, smiling. “I’m already looking forward to my crossbow lessons. And what have you brought for the baby? A battle axe?”

Loki got a much smaller bag from his pocket, this one containing the bear’s tooth. It was attached to a necklace made of thin silk cord.

“She is too young to wear it around her neck, but maybe it can be sewn to her clothes.”

Leah examined the object carefully. “It’s beautiful. Who gave you this? Is it a good luck charm?”

“A mother gave it to me… her little one was also wearing a necklace like this, and I think it proved to be really lucky for both of them.”

“How odd. I haven’t seen any Asgardian kids with tooth necklaces.”

Loki smiled to himself. The tale of the lady troll would be better for another day, when Leah was less tired, so he quickly changed the subject.

“Thor and Fandral are outside; they want to meet the little one. But young Hertha is guarding the door like a miniature Valkyrie, my mother has really trained her well.”

Leah breathed out and rubbed her tired eyes with her hand, trying to wipe away the weariness. “I don’t think Adis and your mother will allow any visits until tomorrow. And I’m not seeing anyone tonight either, I look like a goblin.”

“You clearly have never seen a goblin, lovely Leah.”

“Nonsense. I asked Frigga for a mirror a while ago: I’m deadly pale, with bags under my eyes, and my hair is a complete mess. And it will be weeks… or months before I get my figure back”, she finished with a gloomy sigh.

“You have never looked so beautiful to me.”

“Liar.”

“No, not this time.” Loki caressed Leah’s hair softly, not wanting to disturb the little one. “Do my eyes trick me or are you wearing my colors, woman?” he asked, noticing for the first time the pale green nightgown with emerald ribbons.

“Well, I can’t keep wearing black with the baby around. She’ll think her mother is an old crow! Frigga gave me this, I think she was so relieved when I told her it was time for me to wear something other than black.”

“I wholeheartedly approve. Prepare to be gifted a whole closet of green gowns very soon.”

“Don’t flatter yourself too much, mister. I won’t be wearing _only_ green.”

“Gold and black would also be acceptable.”

Leah chuckled, forgetting that it was painful for her, which in turn brought about a groan. The newborn, feeling the movement and the unexpected sound, opened her eyes and started to fuss.

“Oh, no, she’s going to cry!” Leah grabbed one of Loki’s hands, with surprising strength for a woman who had just given birth. “Okay, don’t get scared now. It will only be a moment.”

“Scared? Why would I be–”

The fussing gave way to pouting; and then to crying, in a surprisingly loud voice for a baby so small. Leah held the baby girl and started rocking her slowly, but the tip of her tiny nose had already started to turn blue. Then her face, and her hands, until all her skin was the color of a pale cornflower.

Loki observed his daughter with concern, and then touched one of the little fists with his finger. The baby’s reflexes kicked in, and she grasped it; the crying became less anxious, as if her father’s touch was calming her.

“Her skin is warm.”

“Yes, and her eyes remain normal too”, answered Leah. “The only change is that she looks like a tiny Smurfette when she’s angry. She did it for the first time when Adis was bathing her, right after she was born. It scared the three of us a little, but she always changes back in a minute, see?”

Leah was right, of course, and the baby girl stopped crying while her skin turned into pale cream once again. She was looking at Loki now, with a pair of big grey eyes.

“Frigga says that when you were a baby, during the first few months you turned blue when something upset you. And Adis told me she had to wrap you in a blanket because you gave her frostbite if she held you with her bare hands. If she could survive that, we can get over this… at least until she learns to control it. After all the weird things I’ve seen, I don’t mind having a blue baby every now and then.”

“As soon as she is old enough, I will teach her to master the changes in her appearance. If she has inherited her mother’s temper, she’s going to turn blue a lot.”

Leah stuck her tongue out at her husband. “I’m not calling you names in front of the baby, but please imagine that I just did.”

“Duly noted, my love. Look, she is falling asleep again.”

“Speaking of names, now would be a good time to think of one for her. I always thought I would know the first time I saw her face… but all that comes to mind are names of blue flowers, and I really don’t think those are appropriate. What kind of deranged hipster would name her daughter Periwinkle? Or Bluebell?”

“Anything but Bluebell. Please”, Loki implored, with a very serious face.

“So we’re back to square one. Any ideas?”

Loki looked pensive for a moment, staring intently at the baby’s face.

“What was the name of your late grandmother?”

Leah opened her eyes very wide. “What?”

“Your grandmother, my love. The only family member you speak proudly of. I think it would be appropriate to name our daughter after her, since she was so important for you when you were younger.”

Leah smiled. “Well, in that case brace yourself, because it’s a mouthful: Valentina.”

“An unusual name, at least in Asgard.”

“Loki, it’s an unusual name everywhere. We can’t call her that, it’s too long and too old fashioned. I think it should at least be similar to an Asgardian name, and short so we don’t have to shorten it later.”

More thoughtful faces from Loki, until at least he spoke.

“How about… Val?”

Leah’s gaze went from Loki to the baby several times. “Val…? Val. I think I like it. It sounds like an Asgardian name, at least to me.”

“Then it is decided. The naming ceremony will not be taking place until you are strong enough to attend, but her name will be Val.”

Leah let her head fall back on the pillows for a moment. When she opened her eyes again, Loki had his gaze fixed on some point on the horizon.

“Penny for your thoughts, mister.”

Loki stroke the sleeping baby’s hair. “A child of my own blood. I never would have thought this was possible… I never thought I would have a real family one day.”

“Well, if seven months ago a messenger from the future had come to my office in Stuttgart and told me everything that was going to happen, I… I would have asked him if he was on crack or something. And here I am, living in another planet, married to an alien–”

“God.”

“Whatever. And now we have a little baby alien of our own, and I’ve never been happier in my whole life.”

Loki closed her eyes and smiled to himself, as if thinking of some pleasant memory.

“If your messenger from the future had found _me_ and told me all this, I would have killed him on the spot for lying to me. I would have thought he was drunk. Or insane. I would have laughed if he had told me how smitten I would be with you, a mere mortal…”

“Smitten. I like that word.” Leah looked around, examining her what had just became her new bedroom. “Well, I’m smitten with you. And with Val. I’m smitten with this place, especially after all these months cooped up in a cell. Why didn’t you tell me your old childhood bedroom was a full apartment? Something this size on the Upper East Side would knock you back at least five million.”

“Always seeing the romantic side of things, my love.”

“You know me. Selfish and materialistic until the end.” She repositioned herself on the bed, very slowly to avoid waking up Val. The baby, unaware of the deliberations upon her new name, slept soundly. “But seriously, I can’t believe all the things that have happened in barely seven months! We met on the 15th of May… and now it’s late November. I guess sometimes it’s true that a lifetime is a season and a season is a lifetime.”

Loki frowned. “Is that a Midgardian saying? I have never heard it before.”

“Just something I heard once. From an old movie, I think.”

“Wise words, in any case.”

“By the way, speaking of Stuttgart… What will we tell Val when she asks how did her parents meet? You know she’s going to ask, I have a feeling she will be the curious type just like you.”

Loki looked at his wife with a mischievous smile. “We will tell her that one day, when I was visiting Midgard, I met this extraordinary woman and she looked so beautiful and so unhappy that I had no choice but to spirit her away.”

“You’re a filthy liar!”

“And you love me for that.”

“Well… Despite myself, yes, I do.”

Loki planted a soft kiss on Leah’s lips. “And I love both my girls.”

“Darn, Loki, stop with that or I’ll cry. My hormones are still a mess.”

“Did you just say _darn_?” he asked, arching an eyebrow. “I barely recognize that language in you, my dear.”

“Well, I can’t swear in front of the baby, so I’m making an effort. A big one.”

“My love, you are turning into the perfect wife, bit by bit”, he smirked.

“Like Hell I am. And before you say anything, Hel is one of your nine realms, so it doesn’t count as swearing.”

This time the smirk evolved into a full laugh. “Lovely Leah, always managing to get your way.”

“And you always wanting to say the last word… but today I’m too tired to fight”, she ended with a quiet sigh.

“Are you in pain?”

“A normal amount. Your mother gave me some medicine for the pain before, but I can’t take too much of it because I have to nurse Val.”

Loki kissed her again, this time on the forehead. “It is late, and you have endured too much excitement for one day. I can go to the other room if you want to sleep. Or put the baby in the crib while you rest.”

“No, don’t leave”, she answered, in a sleepy voice. “I already worried too much about you today; I want to know you’re here with us. Please.”

Loki took off his boots and his shirt and climbed on the bed as his only answer. Moving very carefully, he positioned himself close to Leah, with baby Val safely tucked between them.

“Thank you”, he whispered.

“For what?”

“Everything. For following me to Asgard. For giving me Val. For being able to read deeper into my mind than any other person on this realm, or in any other.”

“I promise to use my powers purely for evil”, Leah whispered, now more asleep than awake.

“No, my love… that is my job, not yours.”

Several minutes later, Frigga opened the door and peeked inside. One of the lamps was still burning, and in the dim light she saw Loki sleeping beside his family. She closed the door on her way out, smiled, and headed towards her own rooms.

Of course Loki and Leah would keep fighting sometimes. Little Val was going to be a handful. If they wanted to have more children, they would need a miracle. And at some point they would have to address the question of Leah’s mortality. But, in an accurate example of Midgardian wisdom, it was true that a lifetime could be a season, and a season a lifetime.

And, for the time being, everybody was happy.

**Author's Note:**

> After so many months, here is the conclusion of Theology for Beginners. I'm not saying goodbye to Loki and Leah forever, of course, but I have other things I need to write, and these two need a rest. This was conceived as a one-shot... but then I went and wrote 12,000 words, because these two love to talk, so I had to split it in two parts, posted only a day apart  
> Thank you so much for reading this series, it's been so much fun to write it! Your comments and reviews give me life, like always.


End file.
